Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was pressured by Denver’s D.J. Williams (55), as the Minnesota Vikings lost 35-32 to the Denver Broncos at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on Dec. 4, 2011. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

Say this about Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, who fell to 1-5 as an NFL starter after Sunday’s 35-32 loss to the Denver Broncos at the Metrodome: The rookie knows the precise spot and depth to plunge on his sword.

“It’s hard to look Jared Allen in the eyes and tell him I had two picks and a fumble and I cost us the game,” Ponder said after the aforementioned turnovers tainted an otherwise brilliant effort of a career-high 381 yards – a Vikings’ single-game rookie record – and three touchdown passes.

“You can’t win ballgames that way in the NFL.”

Ponder’s accountability and production cleaning up a messy Vikings season earn plenty of respect in a veteran locker room that is eyeing the Jan. 1 finale like a parole date. But enduring another afternoon of failure in the name of maturity did little to assuage Ponder’s immediate agony.

“It’s frustrating. Everyone talks about rookies having their ups and downs,” he said. “It’s hard for me to hear that. I’m my hardest critic, and I’m going to go back and keep looking at those mistakes. I have had way too many turnovers since I have ever stepped on the field in a Vikings uniform.”

Ponder has nine turnovers – eight interceptions and one lost fumble – to nine touchdowns, so it’s technically a wash. But he will be haunted by Sunday’s two picks all week.

He telegraphed his first, trying to hit Devin Aromashodu, into the hands of linebacker Mario Haggan, who returned it 16 yards for Denver’s first touchdown with 5:42 left in the second quarter.

“I tried to throw it inside to the corner, and the linebacker was just right there,” Ponder said.

His last came with 1:33 remaining and the score tied 29-29. It was the initial play on a series that started at Minnesota’s 20-yard line. Ponder had two timeouts to drive the Vikings into range for a possible game-winning field goal.

Ponder saw the Broncos in a Cover-2 zone and tried to hit Percy Harvin on a hitch pattern that worked earlier in the game only to have cornerback Andre Goodman drop into the passing lane for an easy interception that set up Matt Prater’s game-ending kick.

“We ran it down near the goal line before and completed it, but I got a little too greedy,” Ponder said. “I tried to bait the corner and get him to bite on the hitch and throw it over him, but he made a great play.”

Said Goodman: “It was just a bad pass by the quarterback, one that I’m sure he wishes he had back. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Ponder acknowledged this was his toughest loss to swallow because of the contradicting storylines that defined his day.

He is developing a lethal pitch-and-catch rhythm with Harvin, who turned a pair of crossing routes into long touchdowns. He also targeted Aromashodu 15 times, completing six passes to him for 90 yards – the receiver’s most productive day as a Viking.

Ponder managed to connect with eight different receivers for an average of 13 yards, which explained how quickly his teammates rallied to his defense.

“You can’t single that out,” said left tackle Charlie Johnson. “It’s easy to sit here (and criticize) the last drive, the pick. Well, it shouldn’t have come down to that. Maybe if we get into the end zone the drive before we’re not in that situation. Christian played a hell of a game. He was getting hit early when we weren’t doing a good job. Once we settled down and gave him some time, you saw what happened.”

Brian Murphy has been on the Pioneer Press sports staff since 2000, migrating from the Detroit Free Press, where he covered police, courts and sports for four years. Murphy was the Minnesota Wild/NHL beat writer from 2002 to 2008 and has covered the Vikings as a reporter and columnist since 2009. Murphy is a Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate.

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